Monday night began a new Bible study for our Ladies’ group. We are repeating the study, “Loving God with All Your Mind.” Some may ask why we’re doing it again, since we did it a few years ago. I believe the truths in this study are fundamental to a Christian woman really being able to grow and have victory in her life. As women, we are bombarded by unbiblical thoughts every day. “I feel…, I don’t feel…, I bet she thinks I’m …,” and on and on our thoughts go! One quote about our thoughts sums up the importance of why we must think right – “You do what you do and you say what you say because you think what you think, and you think what you think because you believe what you believe about God, His Word and yourself.”

1. Recognize the command – Philippians 4:8 – Think on what is true and real.
2. Respond in obedience. Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. II Cor. 10:5 Like a rodeo rider capturing the calf, we must “lasso” our thoughts and bring them into captivity!
3. Reap the benefits – Blessed is the man that trust in the Lord. We will have physical energy (what’s more draining than being drug through the mire of wrong thoughts?). We will also have spiritual energy, and peace of mind.
   

The truths from our first lesson are powerful! God knows that we have a difficult time with our thoughts, and He has so much to say about it in His Word. I pray that we will allow His Truth to transform our hearts and our minds!

I have recently begun co-teaching the 4 & 5 year-old Sunday school class at church. I love this age – you never what they’re going to say (or do!). I’ve been listening very carefully to each of them as they answer my questions, respond to the story, or talk with their peers. There are always little nuggets of truth in what little ones say, and I don’t want to miss anything!

Toward the end of class I was playing a review game with them, and I asked one little girl, “How can we walk with God like Enoch did?” Her answer was, “By holding His hand.” I don’t remember exactly how I answered her but I think I said something like, “Well, we can’t actually hold His hand like we would our mommy or daddy’s hand, but we do need to be that close to Him that it’s like we are holding His hand.” Precious…

Monday morning as I was having my quiet time I thought on that child’s response and I prayed, “Lord, help me to stay so close to you all day today so that I feel your hand in mine.” The truth is, that is how God wants us to walk with Him. I mustn’t walk ahead of Him, making my own decisions, my own plans. Don’t walk behind Him, doubting and questioning when He asks me to do something. We are to walk with Him, holding His hand. The truth is that He hold us, but we need to stay close within His reach. Oh, the sweet security we find there!

Safe in His grip,

Finally! A Sunday dinner at home! We had the added joy of having our college daughter, Alli home for a quick visit. Also visiting were friends, Bruce, Ellen and Claire Countryman. I love it when my kitchen is full of people!

I don’t really do this on purpose, but because I LOVE to try new recipes, our guests are often eating something I’ve never made before. I found a recipe for Chicken Breasts stuffed with Avocado, lemon zest and Goat cheese and had to try it. I did do a little trial run on Saturday to see if it needed anything. Glad I did that. The result was that I made a sauce for the chicken. White meat tends to be dry (especially when it’s been in the oven all morning).

Menu

Sweet Potato Knots (from Cooking Light)
This was the first time I’d made them and they need a little something – maybe a little sugar to the dough. I made a honey butter and glazed them when warm, and that helped. Not so light anymore, I guess, but they tasted good!

I’ve shared this Apple Cake before. We love it. It’s one of those recipes you have to make in the fall! The leftover caramel sauce is good for dipping apple slices into the rest of the week.

This is so moist and yummy, yet the outside of the cake gets a little crunchy.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

 

3 oz. Goat cheese

2 1/2 tbl Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tsp grated lemon rind

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 (6oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

4 6 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine first six ingredients; stir well.

3. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Top each breast half with 2 tbl cheese mixture, roll up jelly-roll fashion. tuck in sides, and secure each roll with wooden picks.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. (Here’s my adaptation – spray the chicken breasts with cooking spray and roll in Panko crumbs.) Add chicken to pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place in baking dish and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until chicken is done.

For a Sunday dish, I did steps 1-3 on Saturday, then put in the oven Sunday morning before Sunday school at 275 degrees and covered it with foil. Here’s the sauce I made for it:

1/3 Cup Lemon Curd

1/4 -1/3 Cup Chicken Broth

Place in a sauce pan and stir with whisk until lemon curd melts.

Pour over chicken.

It’s getting “fallish” here, and I’m anxious to pull out more of my recipes that suit the season. Thank the Lord for His many provisions to have good meals here in our parsonage!

What’s been cooking in your kitchen recently?

With cups of love,
 

I’m back! I’ve been unusually absent from here, but we have had some days away where there was no connection to the Internet. While life goes on without blogging, I’ve missed sharing my heart and the things the Lord is doing in my life.

My husband and I had the privilege of speaking at Ambassador Baptist College this week. Every time we visit that campus we are so impressed by the sweet spirit of the students. They are gracious, polite, and they love God!

What a blessing it was for me to be able to address the wives of men preparing for the ministry. Those ladies and myself share a kinship – we are ministry wives! We have a unique and wonderful calling. I was delighted to be able to speak to them and encourage them about the blessing of being called “the minister’s wife.”

Yesterday morning while my husband addressed the men, I got to speak to about 80 young college women; a privilege I don’t take lightly. To be able to speak to them about “The Woman God Uses” was a challenge to my own heart. God does not use someone who thinks they have something to offer Him, He uses an unlikely person in unusual circumstances to accomplish unbelievable results for His glory! If anything was accomplished in the days we were at Ambassador, He gets the glory for it, for I surely have nothing to say without His enablement!

Has the Lord opened a door for you to serve Him in some way? Don’t be hesitant or afraid to say yes! He will equip you and sustain you to accomplish His will. The blessing from being a vessel He can use is beyond words. We were saved to serve. Are you serving faithfully and regularly? If not, ask God how He might want to use you in the days ahead.

Under His feathers,